Bit.



ll\.1. CALHOUN.

BIT.

MfPLICATION FILED DE02?, 1915.

1,21 8,0553. Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

UNITED STATES FATENT FFI. if

ANDREW J. CALHOUN, or RosALIA, WASHINGTON.

Application iled December 27, 1915.` Serial No. 68,700.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ANDREW J. CALHOUN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rosalia, in the county of Whitman and State of Washington, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bits, of which the` following is a specification. y y

This invention relates to an improved bit for curbing horses, and has for anl object to provide a bit which is humane in action, and also in that it causes no discomfort to the horse when resting idly in its mouth.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a bit whereinbut relatively'slight pressure is necessary to actuate the same to curb the animal, the invention embodying a bit which may normally rest either above or below the-horses tongue, but which, when the reins are drawn taut, always works beneath the tongue 'and against the gums of' the lower jaw. u Y' v Another object of the invention is toprovide a bit with a laterally extending portion or curve which may normally lie flat in the mouth of the animal either above or beneath the tongue, depending on the will of the animal, but which, when pressure is applied to,

the bit and the bit has moved into position beneath the tongue, is automatically turned down for engagement betweenthe gums of the lower jaw to work against the same.

Other objects and advantages lof this invention will be brought out in the following y description of the present preferred enr.

bodiment of the invention, the same u, being shown in the drawing wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the'bit as applied to a horses mouth showing the bit slackened.

Fig. 2 is similar view showing the bit when the reins are drawn taut with the laterally extending curved portion turned down and engaging the lower gums.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the bit of this invention.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the bit, shown in full lines when in operating position, the dotted lines showing the position of the bar when the bit rests idly in the horses mouth.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a slightly modified form of bar adapted for use with this improved bit.

The bit comprises a pair of rings 10 carried upon the opposite ends of a bar 11,

A' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 6, 1917.`

which 'bar' is turned over at its ends about the rings 10 to provide connecting eyes 12, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The intermediateportion of the bar 11 is curved or oset vlaterally to provide a rounded lateral extension 13 which is curved on a radius sutliciently large to bring the opposite ends of the bar 11 againstthe inner'sides of the gums of the lower jaw. It will be noted that the endsof the bar 11 between the extension 13 and the eyes 12 are curved forwardly to provide recesses 14 for the reception of the cheeks `of the horses mouth, and to admit ofthe turning of the extension 13 backwardly between the gums. Y u 1 I Figs. 1 and 2 the rings 10` are shown as being suspended from the cheek straps 15,

while the reins 16 'are connected to the ringsl 10 and extend backwardly therefrom. v vWhen there is no pressure upon the reins,

the horse may place'his tongue above or be'-,

low the bit at will, and in Fig. 1, I have shown,

for illustrative purposes, the bit as being below the tonguel and resting loosely in the mouth of the animal. It is to be understood, however, that the horse, when the reins are slack, may place his tongue below the bit.

It willbe noted that the bar 11 is supportedV at the lower portions of therings 10, this position ofthe bar holding the projection 13 upwardly substantially in parallelism with the lower jaw of the animal, and in the position shownin dotted lines in Fig. 4. The convex or laterally extending portion 13 extends rearwardly toward the back of the liorses mouth. l

When pressure is brought to bear on the reins, and the horses tongue is below the bit, the bit is `pressed down in such a manner that the tongue slides out from under it and pressure is brought to bear directly upon the horses gums. When the reins 16 are drawn taut, the rings 10, as shown in Fig. 2, are drawn backwardly about the cheek straps 15 as a support or pivot point, which action causes the bar 11 to rise to the forward part of the rings 10 and swing into the substantially inclined position shown in full lines in Fig. 4. When in, this position the extension 13 is turned down toward the lower part of the jaw substantially in a plane at rightangles with the jaw-bone for engagement between the gums of the lower jaw, and a slight backward pressure on thel reins 16 causes the curved extension to wedge or bind between the gums and thus produce the desired effect.

.ln Fig. 5 of the drawings there is shown a slight modification in the form of. the bar lla, the bar as there shown having an abf ruptly curved extension 13a, the arms of which diverge wide apart for wedging engagement between the gums of the lower jaw.

The ends of the bar lln are straight, as at,

14a, and the projection 13 is given suiicient length or lateral displacement to engage the gums prior to the binding of the ends 14u against the cheeks of the animal. The bar 11l is supported upon the rings 10 by the overturned eyes l2a which are in Aparallelism with the extension 13, as disclosed in the preferred form.

It will be noted that when pressure is not exerted on the reins and the bit lies loosely in the animals mouth, the horse may place his tongue at will either above or below the bit, but when the reins are drawn taut to check the horse, the bit, should the same be above the tongue, moves the latter backward from beneath the bit, and pressure is brought to bear against the gums. The bit works beneath the tongue at all times when the reins are taut.

l. A bit of the character described com-` prising a bar having a lateral extension arranged to normally lie in parallelism with A the mouth of the animal, and rings slidably connected to the ends of the bar and adapted normally to support the bar at their lower portions, said rings being arranged when drawn backwardly by the reins to slide said bar to the forward portions of the rings to turn the bar and project said extension downwardly between the gums `of the lower Jaw.

2. A bit comprising a pair of rings attached to the reins and a bar free ot' said reins and slidably mounted on said rings, said bar being curved laterally at its middle portion to provide a wedge-shaped extension arranged to extend rearwardly toward the .back of the horses mouth and adapted for Copies of this patent may be obtained for engagement between the gums of the lower jaw when pressure is exerted upon the reins.

3. A bit comprising a bar adapted to be either above or below the animals tongue when lying loosely in the animals mouth having a laterally offset portion intermediate its ends presenting diverging arms adapted to wedge in between the gums of the lower jaw, and means for turning said bar to move said bar beneath the animals tongue and having said offset portion opposite the lower gums and for forcing the olset portion in between the gums.

4. A bit comprising a bar suspended from a pair of rings and adapted to rest loosely in the mouth oi5 the animal above or below the tongue when no pressure on the reins is c2;- erted, eyes upon the ends oi' the bar slidably mounted on the rings, and a laterally extending portion at the middle portion et said bar lying in the plane ot the eyes and projecting toward the central aXis of the rings, said bar being adapted to engage beneath the tongue when the reins are drawn taut.

5. A bit comprising a pair of rings adapted to be suspended from cheek straps and attached to the reins, and a bar free oi said straps and reins having eyes upon their ends mounted to slide upon the rings, said bar also having a lateral extension intermediate its ends for engagement with the gums of the horses mouth and having forwardly curved portions at the ends of the bar to provide recesses to accommodate the cheeks of the animal, the said bar being adapted when the reins are drawn taut to slide upon the rings whereby to tilt said extension downwardly against the gums oi' the lower jaw of the animal.

In testimony whereot1 l havehereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

v ANDREW J. CALHOUN. Vitnesses E. W. WAGNER, D. B. DonsnY.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

